Norman residents pick up debris after tornado

NORMAN, Okla. — Residents hit by Friday’s tornadoes are still cleaning up the mess left behind.

Yards and driveways near I-35 and Lindsey St. are covered in debris, mostly from trees the strong winds destroyed.

David Moore spent the day stacking torn down branches and removing tools from his damaged barn.

When we asked him if he considered himself lucky or unlucky, he picked lucky with no hesitation.

“There’s a lot of damage on through here to downtown Norman. There’s some houses damaged but it’s the trees that caught it,” Moore said.

As he cleaned, Moore carried a wooden chain with him, something that blew into his yard five years ago.

“It’s good luck. It keeps the tornadoes away,” Moore said.

Aside from the wooden chain, neighbors with chainsaws have also helped, cutting up downed trees.

But, he said, not everyone offering help should be trusted.

“I think this one guy [who] came in owned the tornado,” Moore said. “He was real suspicious. He said out of the goodness of his heart how he wanted to help and he was passing out cards out like crazy.”

Moore said he’s still got some work ahead of him before everything is put back the way it was before the tornado came through.

Until then, he’s keeping his wooden chain with him.

“It’s sort of like a marriage. I hate to give it up,” Moore said.

Crews will pick up Norman residents’ yard debris if it’s left by the curb.